


The Telepathy Twins

by orphan_account



Series: The Town in Reverse [2]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Reverse Falls, Gen, Reverse Dipper Pines, Reverse Falls, Reverse Gideon Gleeful, Reverse Mabel Pines, Reverse Pacifica Northwest, Reverse The Hand That Rocks the Mabel, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-09 18:45:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5551247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new attraction rolls into Gravity Falls: the Telepathy Twins. As magical as they are mysterious, Dipper and Mabel Pines have all of the town enthralled, including Gideon. However, there is more to the Telepathy Twins that meets the eye. Only when Gideon begins dating the enigmatic Mabel Pines does a suspicious Pacifica decide to pull back the curtain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Opening Act

"So Robbie Valentino, what makes _you_ the best candidate to work at the Craft Shack?"

Robbie Valentino hadn't known what to expect when he came in for an interview at the Craft Shack. But he most certainly hadn't expected to be interviewed by a ten-year old boy.

Technically, Bud Gleeful had already given him the job, but his son Gideon had insisted on a, “follow-up” interview. So despite being firmly seated at the cash register and even getting a nametag, Robbie found himself under the scrutiny of Gideon. Because he was too short to be intimidating, Gideon stood on the counter. He also held a clipboard, although Robbie hadn't seen him write anything down.

"Well... I'm good with computers," Robbie said. He realized he hadn't seen a single computer in the Craft Shack. "And I have plenty of free time! I can work literally all day!"

Gideon peered up from his clipboard but didn't respond.

"Not because I don't have friends or anything!" Robbie added.

"Interesting." Gideon scribbled something on the clipboard. Robbie didn't have to know it was gibberish. He leaned across the counter so he was nose-to-nose with Robbie. "Tell me, Robbie, are you equipped to handle monsters?"

"...sure."

"Ghosts?"

"...yeah."

"Is Robbie your  _real_ name?"

"I already told you Robbie's harmless!" Pacifica said from the other side of the gift shop. "He's like a puppy if it wore glasses and understood binary."

Robbie tugged at his shirt collar and smiled nervously. Judging by his noodle limbs and tendency to polish his glasses way too often, Gideon supposed Robbie didn't pose much of a threat. And anyone who wore a pocket protector was either a huge geek or ironically trying to be one. There was no irony with Robbie.

Gideon lowered himself off the counter. "Very well. You're hired, Robbie Valentino." 

"Victory! Now you wanna see how many scrunchies I can fit around my ponytail?" Pacifica brandished a grocery bag stuffed with patterned scrunchies. "I need you to keep count."

The door swept open and Soos barged in. "Speaking of traveling magic acts, check out this flyer I found!"

"Literally no one was talking about that," Pacifica pointed out.

"I can live with that. Besides, you dudes gotta see this flyer!" Soos unrolled the aforementioned flyer and laid it out on the floor. Gideon, Pacifica, and even Robbie gathered around to see just what was so special about it.

"It's so shiny," Pacifica said, her eyes glistening with ideas.

The paper was thick and glossy, unlike the cheap stuff Bud used to advertise the Craft Shack. What grabbed all of them though was the silhouette of two people with their arms linked. Their outlines were filled in with glittering stars, and shimmery light burst from each person's hand. Written above in silvery cursive was  _The Telepathy Twins._

"'For a night of wonder and tricks so true,'" Gideon read, "'The Telepathy Twins are waiting for you.' That's gotta be interesting!"

"It's pretty subpar for a poem though. Stanza structure's way funky and the syllable flow is..." Robbie trailed off upon realizing he was the only one who cared.

Pacifica rolled her eyes. "Oh great. One of  _those_."

"One of what?" Gideon said.

"One of those sideshow circus acts that comes through Gravity Falls advertising, 'Amazement!' and 'Acts that will leave you breathless!'" Pacifica said, mockery in full-force. "When in actuality it's a shoddily made scam whipped up to bait off the locals."

"Those sideshows weren't all fake!" Gideon said. "Were they?"

"Remember that freakshow that came through town one summer?" Pacifica said.

Gideon gasped. The one featuring _The Luigi Mermaid_. He'd  _loved_ that freakshow. "You don't mean-"

"Puppets," she said solemnly. "I could make out the staples."

While Gideon had his entire worldview shattered, Robbie examined the flyer. "It says here at the bottom the opening show is tonight."

"Even if the show does turn out to be fake, we should still go!" Gideon said. "You know, scope out the competition and stuff. We'll be like spies for the Craft Shack! Please, guys?"

"Sorry dawg, I'm working in the cemetery tonight. Someone's gotta keep those bodies down!" Soos said.

"And I can't spy  _for_ the Craft Shack because I'll be working  _in_ the Craft Shack," Robbie said. "I can't afford to slack off on my first shift."

Gideon turned hopefully to Pacifica. "Well? What do you say, Paz?"

Pacifica couldn't say no to those big blues eyes, even when she knew Gideon was milking the fact that he was cute as a button. "Fine. But trust me, the only people who are gonna show up are gullible morons latching onto the first remotely exciting thing to happen in this town."

* * *

Pacifica was right. The entire town showed up to the Tent of Telepathy.

Considering the Tent of Telepathy was located somewhat deep in the woods, the turnout was a surprise even to Pacifica. Gideon and Pacifica waited toward the back of the line while the crowd clamored for a first look inside the enigmatic new attraction. Even Gideon tried to get a sneak peak. Pacifica tapped her foot impatiently.

"Ugh, what is taking so long?" Pacifica craned her neck toward the front the line. She spotted someone at the front, and her eyes narrowed. "Oh joy."

"What is it, Paz?" Gideon asked.

"Wendy Corduroy," Pacifica said, venom in her voice.

Gideon peered over to the person Pacifica was glaring daggers at. He saw a disinterested teenage girl collecting ticket money. She could pass for a vampire - well, maybe not, given Gideon's previous encounter with one. Still, she was wearing enough black to supply an entire funeral procession. Not to mention the copious amounts of eyeliner. The only color she had was a her flaming red hair. 

Wendy didn't seem like the type who would frequent the Craft Shack; no wonder Gideon didn't remember her. "So... is Wendy a local?"

"She's a major jerkwad!" Pacifica said. "She hangs out with this gang of teenagers who do nothing but ruin people's lives! Also, I don't trust anyone who wears the same color every day of the year."

"You mean they break the law and stuff?"

"Probably. They like pulling, 'pranks,'" Pacifica said using air quotes. "Pranks - more like crimes against humanity! Last year on picture day, she dumped a bucket of black paint on me!"

Pacifica remembered the day all too clearly. Sixth grade Pacifica had painstakingly picked the perfect outfit: metallic turquoise legwarmers, a glittery yellow dress with a giant bow on the back, and one more giant fuchsia bow on her head for consistency. In an instant, all her hard work was undone. She never could get those black paint stains out.

Gideon and Pacifica finally made it to the front of the line. Wendy's face twisted into a scowl upon seeing Pacifica.

"Northwest."

"Corduroy."

"You're just lucky my boss cares more about profits." Wendy begrudgingly handed two tickets to Pacifica and Gideon.

The Tent of Telepathy was filled to the brim with townspeople. Gideon could only imagine this many people coming to the Craft Shack. Gideon and Pacifica managed to squeeze into one of the back rows, while even more people opted to stand. The setup was relatively basic: rows of church-style pews with a stage set at the front. Baby blue curtains the same shade as the tent adorned the stage.

Gideon marveled at the sheer size of the tent. "What do you think these Telepathy Twins are gonna do? I hope it's nothing scary..."

Pacifica scoffed. "Probably pull a rabbit out of a hat. Like I said, these shows are just clever parlor tricks. Anyone with enough charisma can pull them off."

The lights dimmed and the crowd quieted down. Two spotlights fell onto the stage. The curtains began to ripple, as if the curtain was trying to break free from its entrappings. A voice belonging to a crusty old man (at least that's what Gideon interpreted it as) came from a speaker:

"Introducing, for the first time to Gravity Falls, a spectacle fit only for the most daring of human eyes! On this stage tonight, you will witness magic, mayhem, and _wonder_! From between the realm of time and space we bring you...  _The Telepathy Twins_!"

The curtains dropped to the floor, revealing an empty stage. The baby blue pile of curtains moved of its own volition, rising back up and giving the illusion that _something_ was underneath them. Gideon made out two silhouettes. The lights flashed once, then twice, and on the third time, the curtains exploded into a cloud of glitter. The glitter settled and the audience's eyes adjusted.

Gone were the curtains draped on the floor. A boy and a girl stood back-to-back wearing the same baby blue shade of the curtains. The Telepathy Twins had made their entrance.

The crowd clapped enthusiastically. Gideon and Pacifica both gaped at the Telepathy Twins.

" _Those_ are the Telepathy Twins?" Gideon said.

"But they're _kids_ ," Pacifica said, suddenly feeling very unaccomplished in her life. They had to be around her age.

Even if the rest of the show turned out to be a fraud, Pacifica couldn't deny the Telepathy Twins actually were twins. Both had brown hair, the same heart-shaped faces, and even their heights were the same. What stood out the most though were their eyes. They were an otherworldly shade of electric blue and under the stage lights, they almost  _glowed_.

The Telepathy Twins looked out into the audience with smiles plastered on their faces. The girl stepped forward. "Well, well, brother, it appears we have  _more_ than a full house tonight."

The people standing in the back cheered at being acknowledged.

"Welcome to the show!" the girl said. "I'm Mabel Pines..."

"...and  _I'm_ Dipper Pines," the boy finished. "And yes, the birthmark  _is_ real."

Gideon and Pacifica took notice of the birthmark on Dipper's forehead. With his hair slicked back, it was in view for everyone to see. The birthmark bore an eerie resemblance to the Big Dipper. In normal circumstances, the birthmark might have looked ridiculous, but Dipper wore it with such confidence. His baby blue button-up and black pants added to the look. A bolo tie with a turquoise gem set in it was the finishing.

"And have we got a show for  _you_ tonight!" Mabel said. She wore a black leotard and a cropped baby blue jacket, along with black tights and a pair of heels. She also wore headband bejeweled with the same turquoise gem her brother wore in his bolo tie. "In fact, I predict that by the time we're done talking, you extraordinary people will burst into roaring applause."

They both struck poses, one mirroring the other. They moved simultaneously, as if one were looking at mirror image of the other. When no applause immediately happened, Dipper said, "You wouldn't want to  _disappoint us_ now, would you?"

The crowd did just as they predicted. Amongst the applause, Pacifica was one of the few not to clap.

Mabel raised her arms. The audience quieted down, as if she'd really cast a spell. "Now for this first act, we’ll need… a volunteer."

The audience went into a frenzy. Even Pacifica got swept into the excitement. Everyone clamored for the prized volunteer spot, shouting and even shoving each other aside to get the attention of the Telepathy Twins. Dipper and Mabel let them go crazy, observing the madness they'd induced and building up the suspense.

"Let's see," Dipper said. He made a show of looking out to everyone in the audience, even the people in the back. "I think we'll have to go with..."

" _You,_ " a voice whispered in Gideon's ear.

Gideon jumped out of his seat. Standing over him like a guardian angel was Mabel Pines herself. How did she appear next to him!? He could have sworn he'd just seen her on the stage!

Mabel smiled, radiating poise and confidence. "Don't look so nervous; I'm not going to turn you into a frog! What's your name?"

"G-gideon," he stammered.

"Well, Gideon, you have the great honor of being our volunteer tonight!" Mabel held out her hand. "Most people would die to be in your position. Am I right, folks?"

The audience cheered, and Mabel soaked in all their applause. Gideon took her hand and she lead him through the crowd. He felt so self-conscious with all the eyes on him. Mabel didn't seem to mind though. In fact, she practically basked in the glow of the stage lights. The audience was her plaything, and she knew just the right buttons to push.

Dipper on the other hand seemed more reserved than his sister. No doubt he had the same showmanship, but while Mabel smiled and waved at the adoring audience, he stood on the stage silently observing everyone. Maybe he was rehearsing the show in his head. Maybe he was keeping tabs on the audience. His blank facial expression gave nothing away. All Gideon could tell was that behind those vivid blue eyes, Dipper was thinking.  _A lot_.

Mabel brought Gideon to the very center of the stage. He tried to spot Pacifica, but the lights were so bright he couldn't see very far into the audience.

"Let's show some support for Gideon!" Mabel said, still holding his hand. The audience obeyed enthusiastically. Mabel flashed another luminescent smile to the crowd.

Dipper joined his sister center stage. "Now what we  _didn't_ tell you is that Gideon here isn't our only volunteer..."

The audience fell silent. Dipper and Mabel kept them waiting with baited breath. Their grasp on the audience was entrancing - it was as if they had a secret they wanted to share with the audience, and they were waiting for just the right moment to drop it.

"You're  _all_ volunteers in this act!" Mabel said with a flourish of her hand. Sparkles burst from her hand and shot out in to the audience. The crowd went wild.

Pacifica heard an audience member say, "Aw, that's so sweet!"

"For once I'm included in something," another audience member whispered.

"Seriously?" Pacifica muttered. The gesture was cute, but cornier than a corn maze. It was just a ploy to win over the audience. And sparkles? That was overdoing it just a little bit, and that was coming from a girl wearing five scrunchies.

But it worked in their favor; the Telepathy Twins now had a firm grip over the audience. 

"Now in order for this to work, we're going to need you all to focus on our volunteer here," Dipper said. While the twins moved about the stage with ease, Gideon was painfully stiff. "You see, we intend..."

"...to make the lovely Gideon  _fly_!" Mabel finished. A chorus of ooh's and aah's met their proclamation.

Gideon's face was paler than his hair. Pacifica wouldn't be surprised if he fainted right there on the stage. She watched Mabel nod to Dipper, one of the many unspoken exchanges she'd noticed between the two of them. Maybe it was some weird twin thing.

"Now, Gideon," Mabel said. She leaned in close to Gideon. Intimately close. "For this to work, we're going to need your absolute trust. Do you trust us?"

"I-I don't... of course. I trust you!" Gideon said.

"Excellent!" Mabel turned her attention back toward her beloved audience. "Now everyone, stare at Gideon! Whatever you hear, whatever you see, do  _not_ let your eyes off of him until we say so! Dipper!"

Dipper stepped forward. He kept one hand on his bolo tie, but the other hand was raised like a conductor in command of an orchestra. He began to speak.

"By the power bestowed upon us, from the depths of the earth and the sky, release us from our gravitational coil, and make this boy  _fly_!"

A blue glow surrounded Gideon and very slowly, he began to rise off the ground. Pacifica couldn't believe it. She hadn't intended to follow the twins' instructions, but she couldn't take her eyes off Gideon. There had to be some way they were doing that, some kind of trick to make Gideon look like he was flying. By now, Gideon was high above the stage, a mix of panic and wonderment on his face.

"I hope you're all focusing on our delightful volunteer!" Mabel said. "Because now the important part of show comes:  _you_. I want you all to look at the floor."

Pacifica did so with the rest of the audience. Her feet weren't touching the ground. The  _entire pew_ wasn't touching the ground.

The audience erupted into screams and cheers. Pacifica gasped. "How are they doing this?"

It was like an invisible hand had reached down and lifted everyone up. The entire audience slowly rose higher and higher up until they were at the very roof of the tent. The higher they got, the louder the cheers grew. Pacifica glanced over at Gideon. He too was now smiling and cheering. Dipper and Mabel triumphantly watched over the entire spectacle.

They gently came back down to the ground, the benches landing with a  _thud_. Gideon fell suddenly, but Dipper and Mabel were right there to catch him. All part of the act, of course.

"Give it up for Gideon everyone!" Mabel said.

By now, Pacifica couldn't believe the audience wasn't tired of clapping. The applause was loud enough to bring the tent down. Pacifica had to hand it to the Telepathy Twins; that was an amazing magic trick. Almost too amazing. Pacifica couldn't fathom how they'd gotten so many people flying like that. She'd witnessed it though - her own body resisted the pull of gravity.

But if there was one thing she learned, magic was really just secrets. So what were the Telepathy Twin's secrets?

* * *

Somehow, Mabel and Dipper topped the act with Gideon. Then they topped  _that_ act. Their tricks defied the laws of physics, and every time Pacifica thought she'd figured out how each trick worked, the twins pulled off something impossible. They never even broke a sweat. Gideon and Pacifica were both pulled into the strange, twisted magic show, and they each forgot their respective fears and suspicions.

By the time the Telepathy Twins made their bows, the entire town cheered thunderously, including Gideon and Pacifica. Dipper and Mabel could have demanded the key to Gravity Falls and the townspeople would have probably given it to them.

"That was incredible!" Gideon said as he and Pacifica exited the tent. "Remember the part where Mabel floated inside a bubble? How did she even do that!?" 

"Yeah, for parlor tricks, they were pretty well done!" Pacifica said. She suddenly stopped walking. "Shoot, I left my jacket in the tent. Be right back, Gideon."

While Gideon waited for Pacifica, a familiar face appeared from the side of the tent.

"Well hello there, stranger."

"Eek!" Gideon whirled around and came to face-to-face with Mabel Pines herself. She still wore her performance gear, but without her brother by her side, it seemed like one half of a missing whole.

Mabel laughed playfully. "Still jumpy, aren't you?"

"Yeah, you probably figured out by now I'm a little... tense," Gideon said.

"I don't mind," Mabel said. "I was just hoping you'd still be here after the show."

"Really?"

"Of course! You're such a standout with that white hair of yours," Mabel remarked. "That's why I picked you as volunteer."

Gideon had no idea why Mabel was being so nice to him. Or why his cheeks felt so... warm? "Uh, thanks! Most kids make fun of it."

"Then those kids are horrible! I'm sure they'll die alone," Mabel said with a laugh. Gideon laughed too, not sure if he should find that funny or sad.

Before Gideon could say anything, an old man in a blue suit and darkened glasses came stalking from the Tent of Telepathy. He looked like the kind of person Bud warned Gideon not to approach in mall parking lots.

"There you are! We need to go over-" the man laid eyes on Gideon and scowled. He stepped in front of Mabel. "Great, another admirer. Sorry kid, if you wanna talk to the Telepathy Twins, it’s ten bucks a minute."

"We have a discount today!" Mabel cut in.

"The heck you talking about? I ain’t charging less for some-"

" _We have a discount today_ ," Mabel repeated. She glared at him. Despite the age difference, Mabel clearly had the power in the situation, and the man backed down with little resistance.

"Yeesh, fine."

As he slunk away, Mabel turned back to Gideon. "You'll have to excuse my Grunkle Stan. His priorities are... fiscal in nature."

"Grunkle?" Gideon said, confused.

"Short for, 'great-uncle,'" Mabel elaborated. "He's our manager. And a huge pain in the butt. He won't take me or Dipper anywhere around town! I'm so bored of being stuck in the woods."

"That does sound pretty dull," Gideon lied, knowing all to well just how, "boring" the woods really were. "Too bad your Grunkle Stan won't let you into town. Gravity Falls has a lot of really cool stuff - like a raccoon museum!"

"Say, you're from around here aren't you? You could show me around town!" Mabel said 

Gideon frowned. "I mean I guess but-"

"It's a date then!" Mabel clapped her hands in delight. She leaned in and whispered, "I'll see  _you_ tomorrow night."

Before Gideon could get in another word, Mabel left - surprisingly she did  _not_ disappear in a puff of smoke. Gideon stood there with his mouth open. Had that just... happened? One minute Gideon knew where the conversation was going then the next minute it veered off into crazy territory.

Pacifica came out with her jacket secured around her waist. "Found it! Anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

"I... have a date," Gideon said as if only now realizing what had just happened.

"Oh, if that's all- wait, _what_!?"

* * *

When Gideon told Pacifica he had a date with Mabel Pines, she was ecstatic. She went on and on about, "Gideon's first date!" and how, "You're becoming a man now!" Gideon didn't feel much like a man. The next day they put mystery-hunting aside so Pacifica could tutor Gideon in the mysterious ways of dating. She'd taken it upon herself to prepare Gideon for his date in every way imaginable. This ranged from appropriate conversation topics to what to do if a they got attacked by a bear.

As the night drew closer, Pacifica continued to grill Gideon; at one point they used Soos as a stand-in for Mabel. Using a flipchart and a broom as the pointer, Pacifica went through what do to and what  _not_ to do on the date. Minutes before Mabel's estimated arrival time, their biggest debate was the hat.

"It protects me from vampires!" Gideon argued. "What if I encounter another one while I'm with Mabel?"

"First of all, the journal said that vampires are a rare occurrence in Gravity Falls," Pacifica countered. "Second of all, you told me Mabel liked your hair! You can barely see it if you keep the hat on."

That was just the way Gideon liked it. White as a snowstorm since birth, his bushel of hair had always been a pain in every sense of the word. It also quite literally made him a target in school. When he was in third grade, the older kids called him "Old Man Gleeful" for an entire year. So he had a perfectly reasonable explanation for being so self-conscious over his hair. But Mabel  _did_ say she liked it...

A proposal came to Gideon's head. "Tell you what: I'll take the hat off when Mabel and I get dinner. _That's_ etiquette!  _And_ I'll let you hold on to the journal."

Pacifica beamed like a proud mama duck sending her duckling out into the wild. "You drive a hard bargain, Gleeful. But I'll take it. With my dating experience and your adorableness, this date is going to be a cinch!"

"I am pretty adorable," Gideon agreed. "But are you sure I'm ready? What if I mess up?"

"Honestly? This is gonna sound super cliche, but if all else fails, just be yourself," Pacifica said. "If Mabel really likes you, then you shouldn't have to pretend to be something you're not. Trust me, that  _never_ ends well."

Gideon and Pacifica heard a knock on the front door. The time had come.  _It's just one date,_ Gideon reminded himself. It wasn't like he was getting married to Mabel.

“Don’t worry, Gideon, I got the door. If Mabel wants to date you, she’s gonna have to go through _me_.” Pacifica pretended to cock the broom as if it were a shotgun and darted downstairs.

Pacifica threw open the front door. Mabel was out of her performance getup and wearing a much more casual skirt and blouse. Even offstage, she still wore the same baby blue color scheme.

"Hi, Mabel!" Pacifica said cheerfully.

Mabel did not return the greeting. Her gaze drifted around the Shack, falling last onto Pacifica. "Where’s Gideon?"

"He'll be down soon," Pacifica responded. "But you can wait inside!"

Mabel didn't move from the doorway. Pacifica's smile grew bigger, if only to make up for the fact that she had no idea what else to say to Mabel. The two stood there in awkward silence. Mabel inspected her nails. Pacifica kept smiling.

"So... how's it feel living around trees?" Pacifica said.  _Why did I say that!?_ she thought.

Mabel looked up. "Oh, I didn’t realize you were still trying to socialize."

Pacifica laughed for several long seconds. "Good one, Mabel!"

Mabel did nothing to carry on the conversation. Both girls went back to standing in silence for what felt like hours. Pacifica tapped her foot nervously. If Mabel was acting like this now, who knew how she'd act on her date with Gideon? Pacifica needed some kind of conversation topic. But what? She didn't know Mabel, let alone what Mabel was interested in.

Pacifica spotted a book tucked under Mabel's arm. It had a glossy pink cover, and scrawled in elegant cursive was _Romantic Conquests_. In other words: a  _perfect_ conversation starter. "Nice book you got there!"

Mentioning her book finally got Mabel to acknowledge Pacifica. "Oh, this? It’s a scrapbook of all the boys I’ve dated. I like to document the memories."

Mabel flipped through the book, showing an array of boys. One boy had long, flowing brown hair and an alluring smile. Another boy peeked shyly at the camera from underneath his hoodie. One boy was even holding up two puppets! All the pictures had hearts and other romantic doodles drawn around them.

"That is so cool!" Pacifica said. "I should have done that with the guys I dated!"

"You mean boys willingly date you?" Mabel said with a sneer.

"Uh… yeah."

Pacifica felt the blood rising to her cheeks. She knew the feeling: shock, then rage. And then like a snake against its prey, she struck. "Why? Do you only know how to force guys to go out with you?"

Oh no. She'd done it again. Mabel looked aghast. Pacifica wished she could take her words back, but Mabel’s comment cut deep. Mabel probably hadn’t even meant it that way. But the damage was done, and tension was even tighter between the two of them.  _Say something,_ she admonished herself. But Pacifica's mind had gone absolutely blank.

Thankfully, Gideon came in at just the right time.

"Hi Mabel!"

Mabel saw Gideon and switched moods instantly. "There you are! I was wondering when you’d show up."

"Haha, yeah. I was just upstairs getting ready. You know, normal dating stuff." Gideon blushed. "So... you ready?"

"Yes! More than ready!" Mabel said.

Remembering Pacifica's tutelage, Gideon grabbed Mabel's hand much to her delight. She met Pacifica's eyes one last time, and although her smile was bright, her eyes were clouded over with contempt. Pacifica tried not to dwell too hard on it.

After Gideon and Mabel left, Pacifica went into a gift shop and opened a fashion magazine. She tried to concentrate on the words and the flashy clothes, but the pages were a haze. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Mabel’s behavior. Pacifica knew to be supportive of Gideon, especially for a milestone like his first date. But her happiness for Gideon didn’t get rid of the knots in her stomach.

Robbie peered over his issue of _No Social Life Weekly._ "Something eating ya, P?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but have you ever dated _anyone_ , Robbie?" Pacifica said. 

"Nope," Robbie said with a surprising lack of shame. "I'm well-aware of my strengths. Dating is _not_ one of them."

* * *

Despite hours of dating practice, Gideon was plunged into completely uncharted territory the minute he walked out the door with Mabel.

At first, everything went off without a hitch. Gideon complimented Mabel's headband (as Pacifica had instructed), Mabel thanked him, and they went on to town. But once Gideon started showing Mabel around town, he felt more like  _Mabel_ was the one parading _him_ around. She stopped to greet every townsperson they met along the way, quick to mention she was on a date with Gideon. Only minutes after they left, she'd then turn to Gideon and start speculating on each townsperson's deepest, darkest secrets.

Not only that, Mabel wanted to know  _everything_ about the town itself, right down to the floor plans. Gideon fumbled his way through half her answers, and she absorbed everything he said with rapt attention. He could cross tour guide off careers he wanted when he grew up.

By the time they made it to dinner, Gideon was exhausted. Mabel insisted on eating at the nicest restaurant in Gravity Falls and told Gideon, "not to worry about the price." Which was good for Gideon; he _wasn't_ worrying about the price. He was worrying about everything else.

Mabel effortlessly disemboweled a lobster while telling Gideon about her time in showbiz. "And when the witch doctor found out we'd been spiriting away his customers, he threatened to place a curse on our entire family! We're banned from Louisiana now."

"So I take you guys move around a lot?" Gideon said.

"Oh yes! We've been all over the country! I have to say though Gravity Falls might be my favorite place we've been to. It definitely has the best  _people_ ," Mabel said. She tilted her head and gazed lovingly at Gideon.

This was going way too fast. Gideon desperately looked for something to change the subject. "Say, have you been to the bathroom? They have seashell-shaped soap!"

"Is this the first time you've had a date in a nice restaurant?" Mabel asked.

"This is the first time I've ever been on a date!" Gideon said.

"Oh my stars, you're _untarnished_ ," Mabel said dreamily.

Gideon laughed nervously. "That's one way to put it."

"You're so charming, Gideon! I don't think I've ever been on such an enchanting date." Mabel cupped her hand around his cheek. Gideon wanted to recoil on instinct, but he managed to restrain himself. He wasn't ready for this  _at all_. Mabel ran her fingers through his hair before drawing away. He could have sworn she plucked one of his hairs out. "And I'm certain the next date is going be even  _more_ promising!"

"Next... date?" Gideon said unable to hide his shock anymore.

"Think about it, Gideon," Mabel said. "With my people skills and your charm, we can  _rule_ this town. Wouldn't that be lovely?"

She spoke like she and Gideon were going to take over the world. Was this how couples worked? A pit began forming in Gideon's stomach, and it wasn't from the lobster. He felt like he'd dived into an ocean without knowing how to swim. He didn't know what made a good relationship, but he didn't think being around someone who made him uncomfortable was a good sign.

Gideon realized one day too late he shouldn't have agreed to this date. Now how did he get that across Mabel?

He puffed up his chest, suddenly wishing there _was_ a vampire to confront. "Mabel, I appreciate your offer, but there isn't going to be a second date."

The restaurant was full of people, but in that moment, there was absolute  _silence_ between the two of them. Mabel's face twisted into a range of emotions: surprise, confusion, and then finally, desperation. "What!? Why!? Is there something wrong with me?"

"It’s not that! Mabel, you’re a really cool person. But..." Gideon shifted uncomfortably in his seat. For all the advice Pacifica had given Gideon on dating, she’d forgotten to tell him how to end one.

"Is it the restaurant? Is it too fancy?” Mabel said.

"What? No!”

"It’s the lobster isn’t it? I knew I shouldn't have gone with seafood."

"No, that’s not what I–"

"If it’s age you’re worried about, I’m only twelve!" Mabel said in a high-strung voice. She desperately grabbed Gideon’s hand. "When you look at it in perspective, a two-year age difference is nothing! There are plenty of couples who are decades apart."

"It’s not any of that!" Gideon said.

Mabel was silent. Then in a low-pitched voice she said, "Is it your _friend_?"

Her change of tone took Gideon aback. "Pacifica?"

Pacifica’s name turned Mabel's demeanor from panicked to downright  _threatened_. "I knew it."

"It has nothing to do with you  _or_ Pacifica!" Gideon said. He let go of Mabel's hand. "Look, I just don't think I'm ready for dating yet. I wanted to be polite, but I don't want to lead you on, Mabel. You're talented and interesting, and you'll probably find someone amazing to date. But I don't think that person is me."

Mabel's face went blank, still working out Gideon's confession. "I see."

"So... can we be friends?" He chose his words delicately. Breaking the question to Mabel was like defusing a bomb - one wrong word, and he feared he'd set her off.

"Friends. Of course," Mabel said in a monotone voice.

She quickly regained her composure as if that entire conversation hadn't happened. And while for the rest of dinner she remained talkative and lively, Gideon couldn't forget the way she acted when he brought up Pacifica.

* * *

Gideon found Pacifica on the front porch of the Shack. She was lying upside down and flipping through the journal. Gideon sat down next to her on the steps.

"So how’d it go?" Pacifica asked.

"It was… okay."

"Just okay?" Pacifica sprung into an upright sitting position. "So I take it Date #2 isn’t happening anytime soon?"

"Probably not at all…" Gideon said. "Mabel’s cool, but she’s kind of intense. I don’t know if I’m even comfortable with dating yet. That’s normal, right?"

"Of course it is! Gideon, dating’s no rush. You’ll know when…" Pacifica hesitated. For all the preparation she put Gideon through, she’d never asked if he wanted to date Mabel. "I didn’t… pressure you into going on this date, did I?"

"Of course not! I wanted to go. Really, I did! Besides, you gave me all those cool pointers!" Gideon said.

"Are you sure?"

"110% sure."

"Can't argue with those percentages. It's probably for the better that things didn't work out with Mabel. I didn't want to tell you, but I kind of got a weird vibe from her," Pacifica admitted. 

"You and me both," Gideon said, breathing a sight of relief.

"Look on the bright side!" Pacifica said. "One day when you’re older, you’ll go on a date with an awesome girl! Or an awesome boy! Or a swamp monster!"

"If I date a swamp monster, I’m probably under some kind of spell. You’d better break me from it," Gideon said, half-joking and half-serious.

"According to the journal, they don’t cast spells!" Pacifica flipped open to a page detailing a very grumpy-looking swamp monster. "They are very accommodating once you best them in gladiatorial water combat. I sense a trip to the pool!"

"Can it wait until tomorrow?"

"Totally, dork." Pacifica set the journal down. "I’m headed home. Be warned: I am bringing pool tubes tomorrow!"

"Night, Paz."

"Night!"

Once Pacifica had left, Gideon leaned back toward the stars. The skies really were clear in Gravity Falls. He could make out the constellations he'd read about in his stargazing books.

Yet when he looked into the stars tonight, all he could think about was Mabel. Not in the flustered-and-hopelessly-in-love kind of way. In a worried way. Maybe Gideon was being paranoid. Mabel was just as much a kid as he was. A strange, kind of possessive kid, but Gideon couldn’t deny he was any less weird.

Gideon picked up the journal. Too bad the author didn’t write anything about dating.

* * *

Behind the Tent of Telepathy, Mabel threw knives.

Her targets were the trees. When she looked at each one, she didn't see a tree. Instead she saw an annoying blonde girl with a stupid jacket and braces. She threw a knife, hitting the tree dead center. If it were a human, it would have pierced the heart. Mabel smiled at that thought.

"He's just a boy, you know," Dipper said.

Mabel's smile faded. Dipper leaned against one of the trees, watching her practice. He was teasing her again - he'd been doing it all night. He didn't think the love she and Gideon shared was true. And maybe he was also concerned she'd get her heart broken again. That was why she had to prove him wrong.

"He’s more than just a boy!" Mabel screamed. She threw the next knife, this one embedding deep into the tree. It wasn't good enough. She wanted to hit that tree at its roots. She wanted to see it slowly split apart into papery strips.

"That's what you said about the last one," Dipper said, ever the voice of reason. "Mabel, I thought we agreed things would be different here. We need to focus."

"Easy for you! What am I supposed to do when my soulmate walks in? Just _ignore_ him?" On that last sentence, Mabel threw another knife. This one flew past the tree and into the woods.

She... missed. She  _hated_ missing.

"Mabel?" She didn't respond. Dipper inched away from the trees. "Mabel?"

The gem on her headband began to glow. Mabel stared intensely into the trees. "Mabel's not here. She's in Sweater Town."

Dipper paled. "Sweater Town" had been their code since they were little. It was a warning that Mabel was about to snap, and Dipper had best get as far away from her as possible unless he wanted to get caught in the crossfire.

"Well, when she gets out of Sweater Town, let me know," Dipper said understandingly, heading into the tent.

This time she wouldn't miss. 

The knife she'd lost flew back into her hand. She took aim, imagining her target with perfect clarity. With each motion, Gideon's face popped into her head. His laugh. His smile. Then _her._ The tree began to glow the same blue as the gem. One by one, its roots were yanked up from the ground. Mabel raised the knife, and with it the tree was completely uprooted form the ground.

And then Mabel had a revelation.

It was that girl keeping Gideon away from Mabel. With her mismatched clothes and her obnoxious laugh. She was probably talking to Gideon right now. Poisoning his sweet, innocent mind with ideas of keeping him away from Mabel forever. The sheer thought of her coming in-between their love caused Mabel to splinter the tree from the top down. 

The tree peeled outward from the middle like broken fingers bent backwards. The heart. Mabel could now see the heart. She threw the knife.

The knife hit the tree with a _crack_. A tree that once stood high above her came crashing to the ground, the thud sending dirt and branches flying. A perfect hit. Mabel calmly walked through the wreckage and plucked the knife out of the stump. She knew what she had to do.

Gideon and Mabel were soulmates. Gideon just needed some persuasion.

* * *

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	2. Ghost Light

Gideon and Pacifica never made it to the pool. Pacifica didn't even make it past the Craft Shack. Early that morning she grabbed every pool tube and floatie she could find (including lots and lots of duct tape) and biked to the Shack. She shoved herself through the door, pool toys barely squeezing past. There was Robbie at the cash register, Bud at the Needlepoint Motivational Quotes table, but no sign of Gideon.

Bud greeted her with his usual friendless. "A happy hello to you, Pacifica! Are you looking for Gideon?"

"Yeah," Pacifica replied. "Is he up yet?"

"He left an hour ago with Mabel Pines!"

Pacifica's pool toys came crashing to the floor. " _What!?_ "

"Well, they are singing in harmony as I've heard lately!" Bud elaborated, not picking up on Pacifica's distress. "Nothing terribly serious from what I gather, but it's simply adorable!"

Pacifica was at a loss for words, a rarity for her. This just made zero sense. She remembered last night how relieved Gideon looked to be back at the Craft Shack and how clear he'd been about not dating Mabel again. What could have possibly happened between the twelve hours she'd left and now?

"It's just- we were gonna go to the pool- and- and... He told me last night he wasn't interested in dating her again!" Pacifica exclaimed. The words felt clunky. Her brain and mouth were on completely different levels.

"Really?" Bud said. "He said this morning he couldn't wait to see her again!"

She felt dizzy. And something was building up in her throat. Nothing physical, a feeling. Which was worse because she couldn't just throw that up and be rid of it. She couldn't stop fixating on the pool. She and Gideon should have been at the pool by now. Why would he be with Mabel? Did he not like Pacifica anymore? Bud must have realized now how badly Pacifica was taking the news. Why hadn't  _he_ noticed something was off about Gideon seeing Mabel? 

No, Pacifica couldn't get spun up around Bud. No matter how much he meant well, Bud couldn't help. Adults never could. She calmed herself down before asking, "Can I leave these in his room then?"

"Go right ahead!"

Pacifica gathered the pool toys and headed up. She knew her way to Gideon's room even after three years. They'd spent many a day chasing each other up and down the stairs to the attic. The door to Gideon's room was left open. Funny. Gideon typically closed the door. To, "give himself more time to escape if someone tried to enter his room." Not that it would do him much good since he was at the very top of the Shack, but Pacifica didn't have the heart to tell him that.

A little over a week a passed since the Gleefuls had arrived in town, and Gideon's room looked much more lived in. His bed wasn't made and several stuffed animals were scattered on it, most notably a fluffy sheep. He'd made a canopy out of clothespins and an old bedsheet. Books about stargazing and space were crammed into an old bookshelf.

Pacifica caught something on his nightstand that sent alarm bells ringing in her head. Gideon's blue and white hat was sitting there. That was odd. He was so adamant about wearing the hat last night. Why would he leave it behind? She went over and picked up the hat, examining the underlying tin foil. 

One more thing caught her eye: the journal. Tucked underneath Gideon's pillow, probably untouched since he went to bed. It was one thing for Gideon to leave his hat behind, but the  _journal_? He grabbed that the moment he got up, and if he didn't have it, he left it with Pacifica. She picked up the journal. It felt heavy in her hand. Why would he leave this behind?

The best plan of action was to wait in the Craft Shack for Gideon and ask him. Pacifica would wait all day if she had to.

* * *

While Pacifica waited for Gideon, she took the brunt of her frustrations out on Robbie. He was an acceptable listener, if she ignored the fact that he had his head buried in an issue of  _Computers on Print_. Who even  _made_ computer magazines? Didn't that defeat the whole point of having an actual computer?

"And the night Mabel came here, she became a completely different person when Gideon came downstairs!" Pacifica ranted. "One minute she was all Ice Queen then Gideon walked in and boom! She's the perkiest person in the room! I mean who does that!?"

Robbie didn't look up from his magazine. "Yep."

" _Great_ listening skills, Robbie," Pacifica said.

"Yep."

The door to the gift shop swung open. _Finally!_ Pacifica thought. In walked Gideon... with Mabel. They were practically glued together, laughing about something privy only to the two of them.

Pacifica cleared her throat in an attempt to get their attention. Their laughter died down, and Mabel said, "Oh, Atlantica, was it?"

"Pacifica, actually."

She didn't believe for one second Mabel messed her name up by accident.

Mabel snaked her arm around Gideon, maintaining eye contact with Pacifica. "So what brings you here then?"

"Just wanted to check on Gideon," Pacifica said. "You guys were gone for a whole day."

"Really? It all went by so quickly!" Gideon said. He didn't take his eyes off Mabel. "Mabel took me on a romantic canoe ride then we made flower crowns for each other! Today was the greatest day of my life!"

The cheeriness practically assaulted Pacifica. "Wow, okay. Didn't realize lake water and bugs were that amazing."

"It is! And Mabel's a dream come true. Such a dream!"

Something was... off. Gideon was at cheerleader levels of peppy and not a trace of anxiety in his voice either. Of course, Pacifica had displayed her fair share of off-character behavior to impress a boy. It didn't work anywhere near as many times as she hoped.

But last night, Gideon wasn't trying to impress Mabel. He was trying to get  _away_ from her.

Bud came into the gift shop, hopefully to throw Mabel out and talk some sense into Gideon. Instead, he grinned as if meeting an old friend. "Well, Mabel Pines, the girl with sights on my little Gideon! It is an absolute joy to see you again!"

Pacifica stared dumbfounded.

"Oh stop it, Bud!" Mabel said. How was she already on a first-name basis with him? "Got anymore of those quilted pillows?"

"Not at the moment, but once we get some more in, I'll be sure to embroider one with your name on it!" Bud said.

"I'm gonna head on to bed. I've had a really exciting day!" Gideon said. He turned to Mabel. "See you tomorrow, my marshmallow?"

"Of course, my sugar cube!" Mabel gave him an innocent peck on the cheek and sent him giddily running up to his room. Pacifica felt like puking. "I need to get back to the Tent of Telepathy. Farewell, Bud, everyone else."

"Wait." Pacifica followed Mabel outside. "I need to talk to you."

Mabel wasn't pleased, but she didn't leave either. "Do make it quick. I have to rehearse with my brother."

"I'm a little concerned about you and Gideon," Pacifica said. Mabel said nothing, so she continued. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Gideon -both of you- but I just want to make sure you're not forcing him into an... uncomfortable position. I mean, not  _that_ kind of- he's ten years old, and you're like twelve or thirteen or twenty so... look, you're not pressuring him into go out with you, right?"

Pacifica couldn't tell what was going on behind Mabel's rouged cheeks and mascara-tinted blue eyes. Then she laughed. Not a genuine laugh - the kind used to make someone feel small and ridiculous. It was working.

"Oh, that's _adorable_ ," Mabel said. "What are you? His mother?"

"Gideon's mom is deadyou... insensitive human being!" Pacifica snapped.

"So you're not even related to him, are you?" The answer was  _no_. But Pacifica couldn't say that; it was exactly what Mabel wanted to hear.

"Who cares if I'm not?" Pacifica retorted. "He's my friend, and I care about him!"

"Friends don't stick around forever," Mabel said. "Gideon told me about you. How suffocating it is being around you."

Pacifica was stunned. "He said... what?"

Mabel put a hand to her chest. "Oh, I wish I'd brought a camera with me! Your face is priceless! I'd feel the same way too if my brother was anywhere near as clingy as you. Honestly, did you expect Gideon to spend an entire summer with just  _you_?"

The thing was she _did_. Gideon had been in Gravity Falls for a little over a week, but the three years they'd been apart effortlessly dissipated. There was never an awkward silence or worries about lost time. She was never scared that Gideon would up and abandon her.

Until now. Pacifica remained silent. She had nothing to say. She couldn't even look at Mabel.

Mabel smiled maliciously. She knew she'd won the conversation. Adding one final blow, Mabel said, "Why don't you go hang out with some other friends? That is, if you have any."

Pacifica silently held her head low. She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact. One look and she'd lash out at best or break down at worst. Damage done, Mabel turned her heel and left Pacifica standing on the porch.

Only when Mabel was far in the distance did Pacifica whisper, "I don't."

Pacifica didn't believe what Mabel said. Rationally, Gideon would never say something so cruel about her. But what if he  _did_? Pacifica's imagination was worse than anything Mabel could say to her, and in her head, she saw Gideon hating her. Maybe he didn't right now- she didn't know! But that could change. Gideon could decide that she wasn't worth hanging out with anymore.

She'd spend another summer alone.

Pacifica inhaled sharply. She had to be sure. She already had suspicions about Mabel and Gideon's revived relationship. If Pacifica couldn't talk directly to them... maybe she could spy on them.

* * *

The next day, Pacifica switched out her rainbow letterman jacket for a men's trench coat and oversized sunglasses. The coat blew majestically in the wind while she was biking. Once she started walking though, the hem dragged, and Pacifica began to regret going incognito. Considering she looked like a lumpy bean with shades, she also garnered more looks from townspeople than intended.

The attention Pacifica received however was unparalleled to the amount Mabel and Gideon got. They were the closest thing to a celebrity couple the town of Gravity Falls had, and Mabel acted the part. She let people take pictures of them. She signed autographs. At one point she even left an ice cream sundae for two out in the open for local gossip Shandra Jimenez to scandalize over.

Not once did Gideon leave Mabel's side. Pacifica watched him closely for any sign of discomfort. He smiled at the right times, laughed at Mabel's stories, and doted on her at every chance he got. This couldn't seriously be the same Gideon Pacifica talked to last night.

... _was_ it?

Pacifica looked through the journal for anything about human cloning, doppelgängers, anything that could explain Gideon's switch in behavior. She found nothing conclusive.

Toward the end of the day, she'd tracked Mabel and Gideon to the arcade. They'd been playing  _Sugar Sugar Kitty Crush_ for two hours. Pacifica hid behind the pinball machine, her legs cramping. As they walked out the door, Pacifica was ready to call it quits for the day.

As Pacifica stood up, a shadow appeared over her. "Oh great, look who's back to ruin my life again."

That slightly irritated, fully abrasive voice could only belong to one teenager. Pacifica spun around, grabbing the first improvisable weapon she could find: an empty slushie cup. Wendy stood over her like a lion that found someone sleeping in its den. Pacifica did not lower the slushie cup.

"Stay out of this, Corduroy!" Pacifica said, her voice cracking when she said Wendy's last name.

Wendy, a whole head taller than Pacifica, effortlessly knocked the cup out of her hand and grabbed her by the lapels of her trench coat.

"This is _my_ turf! What are you even..." Wendy spotted Mabel and Gideon leaving, looked back at Pacifica, and put two and two together. "Well, congrats. You've unlocked a whole new level of pathetic."

She let go. Pacifica slumped to the ground and removed her shades, feeling very ridiculous under Wendy's cold gaze. What did she really have to go on with her case against Mabel? A few prickly conversations and a vague sense of unease? "Look... I've had a rough day."

"If you start spilling emotional junk, your day's about to get a whole lot rougher," Wendy said.

Pacifica ignored her. "I mean, Gideon and Mabel  _seem_ happy together. But last night Gideon said, 'I don't even know if I'm comfortable with dating yet.' Like those were his exact words! Why would he change his mind like that? And Mabel's been creepily possessive over him- how could I not think something weird is going on!?"

Wendy was silent for a moment. "You're not wrong."

"I don't expect you to understand! You don't even-" Pacifica stopped mid-tirade. "Wait, I'm not?"

"I know sketchy," Wendy said. "The Pines family? They're sketchy. They pay well, but _man,_ they are sketchy. And I've cased an abandoned asylum."

"So I could actually be on to something?" Pacifica said hopefully.

Wendy shrugged just as a reminder that she had no investment in Pacifica's situation. "Maybe, but you're not gonna find answers here. Anything weird about the Pines family is gonna be in that tent."

The Tent of Telepathy. Pacifica thought back to the night of show. There  _was_ something strange about how impossible those magic tricks were. At the time, she'd dismissed her suspicions, but with Gideon acting weird and Mabel being right by his side, those suspicions were creeping right back into her head.

"And I'm only telling you this because it involves breaking onto private property," Wendy added. "Mabel's at the lake with Gideon, Stan's away on, 'business,' and Dipper's exploring the woods. If you want to look around, now is the time."

On a normal day, Pacifica didn't trust Wendy. But this wasn't a normal day. She got up to leave. "I can't believe I'm saying this but... thanks."

"By the way, Nate and Lee are stealing your bike."

"Again!?" Pacifica ran out of the arcade, trench coat billowing behind her.

Wendy made sure Pacifica was out of sight before dialing a number into her cell phone. It rang twice before someone picked up. "She's headed your way. Now how about that raise?"

"Perfect. You will be compensated," the person on the other end said.

"Sweet."

Wendy hung up. Someone with a clearer conscience might feel troubled, maybe even guilty, thinking about what she'd just done. The only thing on Wendy's mind was grabbing some pizza. After stealing quarters from the  _Viva La Dance Revolution_ machine, Wendy left the arcade and didn't think twice about her conversation with Pacifica.

* * *

Pacifica stowed her reclaimed bike in some bushes and slipped into the Tent of Telepathy. Without the crowd, the tent felt skeletal. The lights were down, save for a single bare bulb on the stage. The curtains were pushed to the side, revealing a plain wooden backdrop.

"Anyone here?" Pacifica said. No one answered.

She tiptoed through the empty pews. What was she supposed to be looking for? She doubted the Pines had all their weird junk on display for everyone to see. The only area of the tent she'd never gotten a look at was backstage. It was a starting point at least.

Pacifica stepped onto the stage. She felt like she should be sitting in the audience watching a show, not up here. She could now see where the stage stopped and the backstage areas began. She could only imagine what it was like for the Telepathy Twins waiting in the wings, rehearsing their cues, and getting up to perform for strangers. She didn't know if she could do that. That didn't mean Mabel had to be such a jerk.

Backstage left, Pacifica spied an old leather prop chest. That was better than any leads she'd encountered stalking Mabel and Gideon. She went over and creaked the chest open.

The contents of the chest were straight out of an issue of  _Shipley's Nobody's Gonna Believe You!_  She rifled through the chest finding amongst other things: a cracked crystal ball, a jar labeled  _Vampire Ashes_ (filled with what she hoped was dust), an assortment of knives, dried up frog legs, and a pack of tarot cards.

At the very bottom, she picked up an ornate pink box labeled  _Mabel's Things - DO NOT TOUCH (this means you, Dipper!)_. Pacifica opened the box, almost expecting an alarm to go off. The tent remained silent. She gingerly examined the box's contents finding candles, dried-up flowers, colored stick pins, and silken ribbons of all colors.

At the very bottom were three dolls. They were made of sticks, with paper cutout clothes and sloppily painted faces. Compared to the girlishness of everything else, these were downright crude. Only... Pacifica held them up to the light. A doll with a ponytail and two puppets. A doll with a hoodie. A doll with flowing brown hair. Pacifica's eyes grew wide.

These dolls looked just like the boys in Mabel’s scrapbook.

Furthermore, she'd seen this type of doll in the journal. It was only in passing, but she recognized the stick limbs. There was a name for this kind of doll. Pacifica pulled out the journal and quietly flipped through the pages, hoping for something benevolent.

Solving a mystery could be either exhilarating or horrifying. Up until she'd entered the tent, Pacifica hadn't felt like she was in danger. But then she found the entry for the doll. 

According to the journal, she wasn't just holding poorly-made crafts. These were  _voodoo dolls_.

_With the proper incantation, voodoo dolls can be effective in three easy steps!_

_Step one: Select a victim._

_Step two: Obtain a strand of the victim's hair and secure it to the doll with ribbon (color is IMPORTANT) and pin._

_Step three: Recite incantation and the victim's free will is entirely gone! I can't believe this is so easy!_

The picture showed a voodoo doll much like the three Pacifica held, confirming her worst fear.

With shaking hands, Pacifica put the dolls back and closed the box. If she put them back maybe she could pretend she hadn't seen them- but no, she _had_ seen them. She felt eyes on her. Or was that her imagination? She slid the journal back into her jacket, meticulously aware of her every movement. Her mind raced for a plan of action.

Only instead she came to a chilling conclusion: she counted three dolls. Which begged the question...

"Where's the Gideon' doll?" Pacifica murmured.

"Where's the  _what_?"

Pacifica froze.

Out from the shadows, Dipper Pines emerged. "We really need to take care of our trespasser problem."

Her first instinct was _run_. Run far away from this freakshow where Dipper’s unnaturally blue eyes couldn’t bore into her. But Gideon needed her help. Pacifica stood her ground, praying that Dipper couldn’t sense her heart pounding.

"Waiting in the dark. Not creepy at all," Pacifica said with an eye roll for good measure. "Tell me where Gideon is."

"Why would I know where he is? He’s _your_ friend."

"Because he was dating _your_ sister!"

"I can’t help that my sister’s taste in boys is abysmal."

Pacifica knew that tone of voice. Dipper was toying with her. He knew exactly where Gideon was and had no intentions of telling her easily. Pacifica's fear quickly mixed with irritation. She'd shove Dipper out of her way and rip the entire tent down if that meant she'd find Gideon.

If demands wouldn't appeal to Dipper, maybe reasoning would. "Look, I just want to talk to Gideon and make sure everything's okay between him and Mabel."

"I think Gideon's old enough to decide that for himself," Dipper said.

"He's  _ten_!"Screw reasoning. If Dipper wanted to mess with her, Pacifica wouldn't stand for it. "Just let me talk to him! Why are you being such a butthead!?"

"You mean how could I put my dear sister's happiness over the life of an insignificant local?" Dipper said the word, "local" as if it meant vermin. "You must be an only child."

Dipper looked at her up and down like a cat sizing up its meal. "You know, I remember you from opening night. What was it you called our show? ' _Parlor tricks_?'"

"I..." That wasn't meant for Dipper's ears. She could sworn no one even heard her say that to Gideon. "Look, please tell me where Gideon is. I'm serious."

Dipper ignored her. The stage lights flicked on. He put a hand on the gem in his bolo tie, and it began to glow. Pacifica backed away as the pews in the audience began to glow and were lifted off the ground. This time she saw it from Dipper's perspective and realized that gem wasn't just for decoration.

"Does this look like parlor tricks to you?"

An unseen force slammed Pacifica against the backdrop. The back of her skull collided with the wood, and she saw stars. Coming back to reality, Pacifica sprung forward only to find she couldn't move. She tried again, panic increasing. She was stuck like... _someone was holding her down_.

Then she realized the same turquoise glow around the pews now surrounded her entire body.

Dipper approached menacingly. Despite being back on the stage, any traces of showmanship were gone. "My sister’s more adept at our knife-throwing act. But I can always use some practice."

Pacifica found her mouth still worked. "If you're trying to scare me, it's not working! I wanna talk to Gideon!"

Dipper said nothing. He'd positioned Pacifica so she could see him reach into the prop chest and pull out a knife. Not a prop knife either. The blade glinted in the stage lights. He turned back to Pacifica with a faint smile on his face and murder in his eyes.

"Try not to move this time."

The knife flew forward. It landed right above Pacifica's left shoulder, sinking into the wood and sending splinters flying. If Pacifica had any control of her body, she would have flinched.

But she couldn't give up. Pacifica came to the Tent of Telepathy for Gideon, and she wasn't leaving without him. "What you have done with Gideon!?"

Dipper threw another knife. This time it hit next to her right cheek, snipping off a few stray hairs.

"Are you really in a position to demand answers?" Pacifica attempted once more to move her limbs, but Dipper kept her stuck like a bug on a windshield. Dipper smirked, obviously amused by her struggle. "If you really want to know, you can just ask him."

"Oh Dipper..." a familiar voice called. Pacifica wasn't scared anymore. She was  _terrified_.

Mabel joined her brother on stage with Gideon trailing behind her like a dog. Pacifica's heart sunk. Gideon didn't acknowledge her presence; his eyes were open but clouded over. 

Mabel stared at Pacifica with nothing but sheer contempt. "So you're back trying to ruin my relationship Gideon."

"Relationship? You call using a voodoo doll to control Gideon a _relationship_?" Pacifica said.

"This old thing?" Mabel pulled out another voodoo doll, this one styled just like Gideon. Unlike the other dolls, a thread of red yard was wound around this doll's chest and stuck in place with a blue pin. "Just a little trick I picked up in Louisiana. Once my little snowflake Gideon expressed... hesitations over our love, I knew he needed a little push. And now I know we were meant for each other."

"You can't force Gideon to date you forever!" Pacifica said.

"Oh?" Mabel walked toward Pacifica until they were only inches apart. "But guess what's great about magic?  _I can._ " Her fingers squeezed around the voodoo doll. "Gideon, tell Pacifica we're going to be together forever."

"We're going to be together forever," Gideon repeated robotically.

"See? He's _mine_."

"Now what are we going to do with you?" Dipper said to Pacifica. She could practically see the gears in his head turning with wicked ideas. "Perhaps we can incorporate you into our next show. We need someone for the disappearing act."

Mabel spun in delight and wrapped her arms around Gideon. "That's my Dipdop! Always coming up with brilliant ideas."

"Seriously? She calls you _Dipdop_?" Pacifica said. Dipper’s grip tightened around the amulet with it she felt pressure tightening around her neck. Pacifica sputtered and coughed trying to get air into her lungs.

"Yes, and she's the  _only_ one who gets to call me that," Dipper growled.

The gem on Mabel's headband began to glow and another knife floated from out of the prop chest. Mabel grabbed it and aimed it toward a choking Pacifica. "Don't get rid of her yet. I haven't gotten a chance to play with her."

Dipper let up, and Pacifica gasped for breath. Her relief was short lived though as another knife landed dangerously close to her abdomen. Dipper was right about who was better at the knife-throwing act.

Pacifica had to find a way out unless she wanted to become a living kabob. She knew moving was useless at this point. She could still speak. No way could she reason with the Telepathy Twins.

But there was one more person in the room.

"Gideon, listen to me. I know you're in there!" Pacifica yelled. "You've got to fight this!"

He didn't react. Mabel brought another knife over.

Pacifica spoke faster. "I know it's hard, Gideon! But you need to break away from Mabel's control! _I_ need you to break free!"

"Ugh, haven't you spoken  _enough_?" Mabel said. She raised the knife. "We'll need to fix that."

The clock was counting down, and Gideon showed no signs of change. Pacifica couldn't think straight enough to get through to him. She kept thinking about how happy they were just a few nights ago, how they were going to go the pool and...

 _The pool_.

"Remember the night after your date with Mabel?" Pacifica saw just the faintest hint of recognition in Gideon's eyes. Deep down, he _had_ to remember. She pressed further. "We were going to go to the pool and learn how to fight swamp monsters. Gideon, I wanna fight swamp monsters with you! I can't do it all-"

The remaining words got caught in her throat, not by her choice. Pacifica knew that was her last chance of verbally persuading Gideon.

"I like her better this way," Dipper said. "Care to do the honors, Mabel?"

"With pleasure."

Mabel took aim and-

"Wait!"

Dipper and Mabel turned around in surprise. Gideon had spoken. Pacifica watched as he put on an adorable face, the same face he used to convince her to go to the Tent of Telepathy. "Mabel, my sweet, can _I_ throw it?"

The offer made Mabel squeal in excitement. "Of course! I just love when we do things together."

She eagerly handed the knife to Gideon. He locked eyes with Pacifica as he took aim and nodded slightly enough for her to see.

He threw the knife off the stage.

"Pacifica, run!"

Gideon grabbed Dipper's bolo tie and Mabel's headband and tossed both to Pacifica. Now free to move, she caught both and took off. Dipper reached out to grab her, but Pacifica socked him in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground. She leaped off the stage and ran out of the Tent of Telepathy.

Never was the moonlight so relieving to see. Pacifica had to stop herself from running all the way back to the Craft Shack. After all, Gideon was still under Mabel's control.

Mabel ran out, followed by Dipper. His right eye was swelling. Pacifica felt a twinge of satisfaction at that. 

"Don't come any closer," Pacifica said, still shaking from the knife-throwing act.

"Or what?" Dipper said.

Pacifica held the gems high above her head. "Or I'll smash these right here and now!"

"You wouldn't."

" _I would_ ," Pacifica hissed.

Dipper took one step forward. Pacifica didn't know if it was an accident or a test, but she didn't hesitate. She hurled his bolo tie against a rock. The gem shattered and went up in a puff of turquoise smoke. Dipper and Mabel both gasped.

Pacifica kept the other gem raised. "Wanna test that theory again, _Dipdop_?"

"Okay fine. What do you want?" Dipper said.

"Release Gideon."

After a moment of internal debate, Dipper nodded to Mabel. Mabel begrudgingly undid the ribbon around the voodoo doll, and Gideon's white hair floated to the ground. A golden glow expelled from the doll, releasing its power over Gideon. The twine holding the doll together came apart, and the sticks fell to the ground.

Pacifica lowered the gem. She was thankful the Telepathy Twins couldn't hurt her anymore because Mabel was glaring daggers at her. 

"If you ever mess with Gideon like that again, I will _end_ you," Pacifica said. "And I don’t need magic to do it."

"Ha! Do you really think that gem's the only magic we've got?" Mabel spat.

"Oops!" Pacifica gently threw Mabel's headband into the woods. "Guess you'll have to go look for it now. Have fun."

Grumbling, the Telepathy Twins headed into the woods. As Dipper passed by her, he said, "Don't think this is the last you've seen of us."

"Pfft, whatever."

Pacifica was tired. She didn't want to deal with vague threats right now. Still shaky, she leaned against a tree for support. She hadn't fully processed just how much danger she'd been in until now. While it was horrifying to think about, she felt... tired. Gideon came running out the tent, tears streaking down his face.

"Pacifica!"

"Gideon!"

They ran straight for each other, and Pacifica buried him in a tight hug. Gideon muttered countless, "I'm sorry's" into her chest. She rubbed his head gently, the only thing she could think of to comfort him. They stayed like that for awhile.

"I felt everything," Gideon finally said. "I knew it was Mabel making me do things but I just- I couldn't stop her!"

"Shh, it's okay," Pacifica said. She got down on her knees so she and Gideon were the same height. "It took a lot of guts to stand up to Mabel like that."

"B-but they hurt you," Gideon sniffled.

Pacifica pulled away and felt a small cut on her cheek. So it wasn't just a few hairs Dipper had struck with the knife. She hadn't even noticed. She wiped away the blood with her sleeve and shrugged. "Nothing's broken. I think I'll live."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Gideon stopped crying. Pacifica dried his tears with her other sleeve. Gideon asked, "Can we go home?"

"Totally, dork." Pacifica said. They hugged once more. "If it makes you feel any better, now we've both been controlled by someone else."

"I think I'd take the vampire."

Pacifica took Gideon's hand, and they began to walk. She stole one last glance at the Tent of Telepathy. Dipper's words echoed in her head:  _Don't think this is the last you've seen of us_. They'd escaped from the Tent of Telepathy this time, but she didn't doubt what Dipper said. All she could do was prepare for the next time.

But first, hot chocolate. Evil twins could wait.

* * *

  **EURNHQ DPXOHWV DQG EURNHQ KHDUWV, LW WDNHV D ORW PRUH WR WHDU IULHQGV DSDUW.**

* * *

Mabel's room was torn apart. She didn't care. Furniture was replaceable. Gideon was not.

Contrary to popular belief, Mabel was not psychotically focused on boys. True, she believed in soulmates and true love. When she found a boy who reciprocated affection, she threw herself into him. She saw futures paved out with the boys she dated that spanned decades, only to come crumbling down when the boy in question decided what they had  _wasn't_ true love.

But Mabel still saw a clear, vivid future with Gideon. When he grabbed her headband and tossed it to that wretch Pacifica, Mabel felt butterflies as he brushed against her. His movements were _willing._  Far more exciting than anything he'd done under her control.

For now though, their future was... compromised. Mabel was coping. A few seconds later, the last working light bulb in her vanity mirror shattered.

Dipper walked into her room, shoes crunching on broken glass. He probably had a dorky lecture already planned for her. "Go ahead. Say it. I screwed up."

"You really screwed up," Dipper said, relishing the chance to dig into Mabel. But she looked so small sitting on the floor. Her knees were pulled to her chest and her eye makeup was smudged. "But I am... sympathetic to your situation. I probably went overboard with the whole knife-throwing act. Sorry."

"Yeah, Pacifica gave you one heck of a shiner!"

"Annnd the sympathy's gone," Dipper said. He winced remembering that he had a horrid black eye. Concealing it would take layers of stage makeup. "Anyways, while you were out chasing a boy, _I_ did something productive. Behold!"

He reached behind Mabel's ear and pulled a book out of, "thin air." Mabel knew he actually had it hidden somewhere in his clothing and distracted her with words and hand movements while putting it in place. It was an old magic trick and not even one that used actual magic. They'd learned this one years ago.

Mabel eyed her brother suspiciously. "Dippingsauce, did you just wait to show me now for dramatic effect?"

"What? Of _course_ not- that's not important. Look." Dipper showed Mabel the book. Mabel's frown blossomed into a demented smile. She grabbed the book, delicately running her fingers against the cover. "I found it buried in the woods. Do you know what this means?"

"More tricks?" she said, eyes wide with anticipation.

"Better," Dipper said. "We're one step closer."

Mabel was more than capable of focusing on something besides boys. Up until that moment though, she didn't  _have_ anything else to focus on. But that was all about to change.

She laid down a burgundy journal with a golden six-fingered hand bearing the number  _two_. Dipper slid an identical journal labeled  _one_ next to it.

Mabel and Dipper didn't agree on everything. But Mabel knew Dipper had her back. Nothing was going to change that. This was one of those special occasions though where their motives synced up with eerie clarity. Should someone get in the way of those motives? Mabel didn't mind getting blood on her hands. It was such a lovely shade against blue anyways.

Even if those someones were a bleached blonde valley girl and Mabel's soulmate.

* * *

**13-19-23 17-7-16-10, 23-1-23 13-11 15-2.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing the dialogue for Pacifica and Mabel's first conversation was so tough! Not from a writing perspective, but just because Mabel was so mean! It had to be done though. I really liked writing the last bit with Dipper and Mabel - I envision them having like this prickly but affectionate sibling bond in the Reverse Falls Universe. I hope you liked the story and the debut of the Telepathy Twins! They'll be back soon!


End file.
